It can take a lot of analysis and effort for an actor to transform into a character. But for rising star Go Youn-jung, playing Hui-soo -- a high school girl with a superhuman healing ability in Disney+’s latest action fantasy series “Moving" -- came naturally. She was auditioning for "Moving" not for a particular role, but when she read Hui-soo’s lines, she felt comfortable. “Playing a character or reading lines without knowing the background story is alway

Television Aug. 26, 2023

Leaders and celebrities in the cultural sector who are at the forefront as well as behind the scenes have shared congratulatory messages on the occasion of The Korea Herald's 70th anniversary and 70 years since the cease-fire of the Korean War. -- Ed. Sumi Jo, Soprano Congratulations on the 70th anniversary of The Korea Herald, which has played a significant role as a fundamental bridge between the world and South Korea with accurate reporting and balanced analysis, reflecting the country

Culture Aug. 13, 2023

Webtoon writer Kang Full’s popular webtoon series “Moving,” which achieved a total of 200 million views, has been transformed into Disney+ TV series to be released Aug. 9. The series centers on the lives of seemingly ordinary people with hidden super powers. The stories of “Moving” revolve around Lee Mi-hyeon (played by Han Hyo-ju) who has extraordinary physical abilities such as exceptional hearing, and falls in love with her colleague Kim Du-sik (played by actor Z

Television Aug. 3, 2023

In director Ryoo Seung-wan’s new crime action flick, “Smugglers,” Zo In-sung stars as a veteran smuggler known nationwide, Kwon Pil-sam. Contrary to newbie Jangdori (Park Jung-min) who is timid and anxious all the time, Kwon is a calm and coldhearted character who wants to get things done with his own hands. It is undeniable that the energy and vibe that a character exudes at least partly come from the actor who plays the role. In that context, many have said that Kwon Pil-sam

Film July 25, 2023

Disney+, the flagship streaming service of US media giant Walt Disney Co., announced the release of its new action hero series “Moving” in early August. With a star-studded lineup of actors, ranging from top stars Zo In-sung, Han Hyo-joo, go-to actors Ryu Seung-ryong, Kim Sung-kyun to veteran actors Cha Tae-hyun, Kim Hee-won and rising star Go Youn-jung, “Moving” is one of the most anticipated series of the year. Based on the webtoon of the same title by renowned webtoon

Television June 16, 2023

A number of star-studded blockbuster films will vie for audience attention this summer, raising expectations that the projects might bring local moviegoers back to theaters after the majority of films released this year have performed worse than expected at the box office. "Unofficial Operation," an action flick starring Ha Jung-woo and Ju Ji-hoon, will open Aug. 2, according to the film distributor Showbox. The film revolves around Min-joon (Ha), a diplomat who departs for war-torn Le

Film June 12, 2023

Award-winning director Na Hong-jin will take the helm for “Hope,” assembling a veteran cast from around the world. The thriller will mark Na's first film since his commercially and critically acclaimed success “The Wailing,” released in 2016. Hwang Jung-min and Zo In-sung will appear as a police officer Beom-seok and a young hunter Sung-ki, respectively. Hollywood power couple Michael Fassbender from “X-men” and his wife Alicia Vikander from “The Da

Film April 2, 2023

The year that just ended was all about finally seeing a number of movies that began production prior to the pandemic. Despite better-than-expected ticket sales, having so many options to watch comfortably at home led many film buffs and moviegoers to stay inside. How will upcoming movies this year impact ticket sales at the cinema? From Hollywood’s megasized projects to a variety of local films finally meeting audiences after enduring setbacks and delays due to the pandemic, following are

Film Jan. 1, 2023

In 2022 TV lineups released by South Korean broadcasters and global streaming services, a slew of webtoon-based series are drawing attention from Korean drama fans at home and abroad. In recent years, homegrown webtoons, or web-based comics, have risen as a tried-and-true source of fresh ideas for producers and screenwriters here. Many of their TV adaptations, including the drama "Itaewon Class" (2020) and Netflix's original "Hellbound" (2021), have become global hits. Tvin

Television Jan. 4, 2022

Homegrown actioner "Escape from Mogadishu" has topped a cumulative 1 million admissions on the seventh day of its release, becoming the first South Korean flick to achieve the feat this year, box office data showed Wednesday. The film, released on July 28, attracted 121,000 people on the previous day, bringing its combined total to 1.03 million, according to the data by the Korean Film Council. Directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, the film became the first South Korean-made title shown in 202

Film Aug. 4, 2021

Homegrown actioner "Escape from Mogadishu" topped South Korea's weekend box office in the first week of its release, revitalizing pandemic-hit theaters, data showed Monday. The film, directed by Ryoo Seung-wan, sold more than 561,000 tickets over the Friday-Sunday period, bringing its combined total to over 788,000 since its release last Wednesday, according to data from the Korean Film Council. The big-budget tentpole starring popular actors like Kim Yun-seok and Zo In-sung is based

Film Aug. 2, 2021

Dark Figure of Crime (Korea) Opened Oct. 3Crime, Drama, MysteryDirected by Kim Tae-kyunConvicted murderer Kang (Ju Ji-hoon) calls up detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yoon-seok) from his cellphone and confesses to six additional murders that were never reported to authorities. Kim investigates the cases, and soon learns that Kang’s testimony is mixed with lies and the criminal is manipulating him.Venom(US)Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi Oct. 3Directed by Ruben Fleischer Investigative journalist Eddie Brock

Film Oct. 11, 2018

Dark Figure of Crime (Korea) Opened Oct. 3Crime, Drama, MysteryDirected by Kim Tae-kyunConvicted murderer Kang (Ju Ji-hoon) calls up detective Kim Hyung-min (Kim Yoon-seok) from his cellphone and confesses to six additional murders that were never reported to authorities. Kim tracks investigates the cases, but soon learns a plethora of lies is mixed into Kang’s testimony, and the criminal is manipulating him.The Great Battle(Korea) Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, ActionDirected by Kim Kwang-sikTh

Film Oct. 4, 2018

The Great Battle(Korea) Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, ActionDirected by Kim Kwang-sikThe Chinese Tang Empire, led by Taizong (Park Sung-woong), is disgruntled by the military coup of Goguryeo’s Yeon Gaesomun (Yoo Oh-seong), and invades the kingdom. With the Goguryeo army suffering a devastating defeat, it is now up to Ansiseong fortress and its leader Yang Man-chun (Zo In-sung) to defend the country.Feng Shui(Korea)Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, Political thrillerDirected by Park Hee-gonIn the

Film Sept. 27, 2018

The Great Battle(Korea) Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, ActionDirected by Kim Kwang-sikThe Chinese Tang Empire, led by Taizong (Park Sung-woong), is disgruntled by the military coup of Goguryeo’s Yeon Gaesomun (Yoo Oh-seong), and invades the kingdom. With the Goguryeo army suffering a devastating defeat, it is now up to Ansiseong fortress and its leader Yang Man-chun (Zo In-sung) to defend the country.Feng Shui(Korea)Opened Sept. 19Drama, History, Political thrillerDirected by Park Hee-gonIn the

Film Sept. 20, 2018

While he is by no means a great actor, Zo In-sung’s acting has improved tremendously since his sitcom days. But the actor’s voice is one of his glaring weaknesses, and a weak voice is a significant disadvantage in period pieces.This is why I expected Zo, cast in the lead as Gen. Yang Man-chun, to be the downfall of “The Great Battle,” which depicts the Goguryeo Kingdom’s fight against the powerful Chinese empire of Tang.To my surprise, director Kim Kwang-sik did a clever job of masking his actor

Film Sept. 13, 2018

The ancient kingdom of Goguryeo is a source of an immense national pride for Koreans, as it once single-handedly fought off the most powerful Chinese empires. But it is also a kingdom in which period dramas are rarely set, due to a lack of knowledge and research about it.The upcoming film “The Great Battle,” directed by Kim Kwang-sik, is one that follows the desperate 88-day fight between 200,000 soldiers of the invading Tang Empire and 5,000 Goguryeo soldiers led by Gen. Yang Man-chun.“Most of

Film Aug. 21, 2018

New Trial(Korea)Opened Feb. 15Crime, thriller. Directed by Kim Tae-yunBased on a true story, the film traces Hyun-woo (Kang Ha-neul), who is framed after being the sole witness of a murder, due to the lackluster and overly aggressive investigation conducted by the police. Hyun-woo subsequently spends a decade in imprisonment. Lawyer Joon-young (Jung Woo) finds out about the case, and decides to uncover the truth.Fabricted City(Korea)Opened Feb. 9Thriller, science fiction. Directed by Park Kwang-

Film Feb. 17, 2017

Hyun Bin (left) and Yoo Hae-jin star in “Confidential Assignment.” (CJ Entertainment)A Korean comedy-action film about an inter-Korean secret police mission ranked No. 1 for the second weekend at the local box office, giving it a 19-day cumulative audience total of over 6 million, data showed Monday."Confidential Assignment" topped the chart for the Feb. 3-5 frame with slightly more than 1 million viewers, according to the real-time based box office tally from the Korean Film Council.Released on

Film Feb. 6, 2017

Hyun Bin and Yoo Hae-jin star in a scene from “Confidential Assignment.” (CJ Entertainment)A Korean comedy-action film about an inter-Korean secret police mission claimed the top spot at the box office over the weekend, dethroning a local political thriller, data showed on Tuesday."Confidential Assignment" topped the chart, amassing 1.9 million viewers in its second weekend of Jan. 27-29, according to the real-time based box office tally from the Korean Film Council."The King," which premiered o

Film Jan. 31, 2017